The city's 3-1-1 Houston Service Helpline is performing effectively and efficiently in most respects, but there is room for improvement and savings. These are the findings of an audit team hired by City Controller Annise Parker to conduct a performance audit of 3-1-1 operations.

"3-1-1 serves as a model of best practices for other cities to follow and is recognized as a leader in the industry," said Controller Parker. "However, we believe through implementation of several minor changes, the helpline can save some money and improve customer service."

The audit, conducted by Mir, Fox and Rodriguez, found the helpline has a higher rate of hang-ups than other cities and lacks adequate staffing. The number of callers who refuse to wait on hold for a call-taker ranges from a high of about 42 percent on Sunday to 2 percent on Wednesdays. Overall, about 8 percent of all callers hang-up, compared to 5 percent in Los Angeles and Chicago and 2 percent in Baltimore. "It is clear that the higher abandoned call rate is directly related to the number of call-takers working," the audit cited.

The auditors recommend 3-1-1 strive to reduce its overall hang-up rate to 4 percent. They are also recommending increased staffing on the weekends and a possible reduction in hours of operation. Shorter hours of operation would save $800,000 a year and allow for the reallocation of personnel that is needed to ensure there is enough staff when call volume is highest. The helpline currently operates from 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. The auditors suggest a schedule of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends with after-hours calls being referred to the helpline's Web site or given the option of leaving a voice mail message.

There are also recommendations for increased diversity on the 3-1-1 workforce and improved internal communications as well as improved communications with other city departments. Finally, the auditors recommend management take steps to improve morale and address perceived inconsistencies in the treatment of helpline employees.

A customer satisfaction survey conducted in conjunction with the audit found the majority of survey respondents were satisfied with their overall helpline experience and mostly satisfied with their interaction with the call-takers. However, the respondents indicated a need for helpline representatives to be more knowledgeable in responding to requests for service and routing problems. The respondents also noted a delay from the time they reported a problem and the actual resolution.

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